{"id":212152,"date":"2025-12-02T23:03:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-02T23:03:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/212152\/"},"modified":"2025-12-02T23:03:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-02T23:03:09","slug":"im-scared-at-this-stage-limerick-retailer-sounds-alarm-with-city-in-danger-zone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/212152\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I’m scared at this stage’ – Limerick retailer sounds alarm with city in ‘danger zone’"},"content":{"rendered":"

A VETERAN retailer has said that in 40 years of trading, he has never seen things so \u201clow and weak\u201d in the city<\/a> centre – and Limerick is \u201cin the danger zone\u201d.<\/p>\n

Michael Gleeson, who runs Gleeson Shoes in William Street, also said it\u2019s the first time he has felt \u201cdespondent\u201d about trade in the urban area in his decades\u00a0operating here.<\/p>\n

He issued the stark warning as the countdown to Christmas – and the busiest time of year for business – kicks off.
\u201cFootfall is at a new low – and having looked at it for 40 years, I am in a good position to say what I am saying,\u201d said Mr Gleeson.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong>\u00a0Sod turned on new \u20ac14 million property development at Shannon Airport Business Park<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the first time in my life I\u2019ve felt despondent about the future of retail in the city centre. I\u2019m scared at this stage for it. I am doing this for my family. They work very hard and they are very enthusiastic about the business,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The businessman believes that the only way to stop the city centre losing out on footfall to the Crescent Shopping Centre is by offering free on-street parking each day in December – and also considering park-and-ride measures on the edge of the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am annoyed that nobody is making an effort to come up with any ideas to bring more people into the city. It feels like the idea is to put people off coming to town. It impacts our turnover,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Gleeson, who opened his family shop in 1985, criticised council members and Limerick City\u2019s four TDs.
He believes they have \u201clost interest\u201d in the city centre.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t heard or seen them, they\u2019ve not had any involvement in the city centre since they\u2019ve been elected. I\u2019d not single one out, but they\u2019ve not been seen to be showing any interest in the downfall of our city,\u201d said the businessman, who hails from Dromkeen.<\/p>\n

There are many reasons he believes things are \u201cso quiet,\u201d as he describes it, in the city centre.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are not made feel welcome to the city centre. They are scared of traffic wardens, they are scared of clampers. They are scared of a lot of the undesirables on our street. Older people are afraid to walk up and down our streets at the moment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Gleeson has traded through a number of recessions – including most recently the credit crunch at the start of the 2010s.<\/p>\n

But he added: \u201cThis is easily the most difficult retailing time. We\u2019ve seen the amount of closures. Things are getting very scary, the amount of shops closing down all around us. And we\u2019ve had no quality new shops in our street in the past 10 years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Councillors met on Friday to approve the local authority budget for 2026 (see story above). Key among this is the striking of the commercial rate, a charge levied on business owners, based on the size of the property they operate from.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last thing we need at the moment is an increase in expenses. A rate increase could be the final straw for a lot of retailers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Council did not return a request for comment.<\/p>\n

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